A clearinghouse of news and events about historic Route 66, the Mother Road.

Vulcan Materials settles lawsuit with Illinois

Vulcan Materials, which was accused in a lawsuit of damaging a now-closed one-mile stretch of Joliet Road (aka Route 66) in McCook, Ill., settled with the state of Illinois for $40 million, according to a news release today.

The company, which supplies asphalt and gravel, said it will pay $20 million to the Illinois Department of Transportation within 10 days. The remaining $20 million will be paid as Vulcan receives funds from its insurers.

The lawsuit, filed in 2001, came after the road became dangerously unstable and was closed. Vulcan operated quarries on both sides of the road, and the state maintains that those activities undermined it. The lawsuit finally was set to go to trial this month.

U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-3rd) said it’s unlikely Joliet Road will be reopened, but he wants IDOT to explore options for relieving congestion on nearby streets caused by the closing. He said IDOT also must announce whether the road is being closed permanently.

“Not a month goes by that a person doesn’t ask me what the situation is with Joliet Road,” Lipinski said.